DV spokesman resigns following revelations his business partner pleaded guilty to assaulting wife

NT shadow minister for domestic violence Steve Edgington has resigned from the role after it was revealed he was in business with a former CLP president who assaulted his wife.

NT Shadow Minister for Domestic Violence Steve Edgington with friend and business partner Jason Newman who pleaded guilty to aggravated assault on his wife. Picture – Supplied

NT opposition domestic violence spokesman Steve Edgington has resigned from the portfolio after it was revealed he struck up a business partnership with former Country Liberal Party president Jason Newman just three months after Mr Newman pleaded guilty to committing aggravated assault against his wife.

The relationship emerged after Country Liberal Party MP Mr Edgington – who has held on to his job as opposition legal affairs spokesman – was also revealed by The Australian to have hired a “notorious domestic violence perpetrator” who has been jailed multiple times for breaching domestic violence orders.

Mr Edgington was under increasing pressure after refusing to sack Darius Plummer, who has faced Territory courts 27 times in the past four years on serious ­domestic violence-related charges, ­including multiple counts of contravening a domestic violence order and breach of bail.

The Australian revealed Mr Edgington commenced a business partnership with Mr Newman in May 2016, just three months after Mr Newman was sentenced to a $2000 good behaviour bond for committing aggravated assault on his wife and breaching a domestic violence order. He was also fined a total of $700, with no conviction recorded.

Both Mr Edgington and Mr Newman were directors of the company, Edgington Newman Pty Ltd, for which the duo purchased and renovated houses and had an equal shareholding. The business relationship continued until May 31 last year, before the business was deregistered.

On Thursday Mr Newman said all the properties owned by the business were sold before Mr Edgington entered parliament.

“It wasn’t operating (when he was in parliament), it was only a business registration, it was shut down,” Mr Newman said.

“We each put in a couple of hundred (thousand dollars), and we were buying properties for cash.

“This was before he was elected a mayor in Tennant Creek.

“Once he decided to run for parliament we decided to close the business down because he wasn’t going to be active in the business so we shut it down and sold them all.”

Mr Newman added: “I had to plead guilty to expedite charges after several months, but you might find there’s more to the story.”

Mr Edgington did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Barkly electorate officer Darius Plummer pictured with Steve Edgington and NT opposition leader Lia Finocchiaro. Picture: Supplied

Mr Edgington had ­refused calls from the NT government to stand down but Mr Plummer has been suspended from his role with pay.

The 43-year-old Mr Plummer was jailed twice last year, just months before he was appointed electorate officer for the ­Barkly region.

In December 2022, he spent 14 days in prison for contravening a domestic violence order and was also in 2021 sentenced to 35 days in prison for three counts of contravening a domestic violence order and breach of bail.

In 2016 Mr Plummer ­received a five-month suspended sentence for aggravated assault, and was placed on a two-year good behaviour bond.

Since his appointment, Mr Plummer has been pictured on ­social media with CLP leader Lia Finocchiaro and Mr Edgington, where it was said they discussed ­“issues of women and children ­living in domestic violence situations”.

Multiple sources have told The Australian that there has been “serious friction” between Ms Finocchiaro and Mr Edgington since the start of the parliamentary term, and he is also considering not standing in the August election.

On Thursday, Ms Finocchiaro said in a statement she had accepted Mr Edgington’s resignation.

“I agree with Steve that the issue of domestic, family and sexual violence is bigger than a job title, and that we will not allow this to be a distraction from the devastatingly high rates across the Territory,” she said.

“Steve has been very clear that he is a fierce advocate for the prevention of domestic violence, and the rehabilitation of offenders, representing one of the most impacted communities in the Territory.

“Domestic violence has risen a shocking 83 per cent during the last eight years of the Labor government. Victims deserve a government focused on delivering solutions, not a government focused only on politics as we have seen this week.”

Jo Hersey will replace Mr Edgington in the role.